The invention relates to an apparatus for measuring parameters representative of the coagulation or of the lysis of a coagulable liquid.
A prior art apparatus of that type comprises a torsion member; a driving body supported by the torsion member for immersion in the liquid; means for oscillating a vessel containing the liquid with a predetermined angular amplitude and period around an axis substantially identical with that of the torsion member; means for detecting the amplitude of the torsion of said member, said detection means comprising an inductor element movable as a function of the torsion of said member and fixed position detector means, operating by induction, adapted to cooperate with the movable inductor element, so that said detector means deliver an electrical signal representing the amplitude of the oscillations of said torsion member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,216 discloses a particular embodiment of such an apparatus in which the driving body is suspended on the torsion member constituted by a thread or ribbon. For the device to operate satisfactorily, inclination of the work table to the horizontal should be avoided.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device which can operate satisfactorily without requiring accurate adjustment of horizontality; it is another object to provide a device which may operate without means damping transverse oscillations.
It is still another object to improve the capability of the device to accept rough treatment and forces arising from transportation and handling. A device of the above defined type according to the invention has a torsion member constituted by a thread stretched between two anchoring points and bearing said body, the points being placed approximately vertically over one another during operation.
The term "thread" must be construed in a broad sense and as covering notably the case where thread includes several pieces connected by a rigid element.
The body is typically fixed removably at the lower end of a yoke surrounding one of the anchoring points (typically the lower anchoring point) and bearing the inductor element at its upper part.
The yoke may form a rotary unit with a disk centered on the thread and lockable in position by a locking mechanism.
Other features and improvements of the invention will appear from the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of example.